THE MABCH Or THE OECHK, 



259 



equally to be regretted that we have not the black violet, 

 which is elsewhere mentioned — 



" Et nigrse violae sunt." 



A savant has calculated what is the rate of inarch of the 

 orchides. It must first be proved how the orchides can 

 change their places : the orchis is a spike of little violet, rose, 

 white, or variegated flowers which issues from two bulbs, one 

 of which is small, empty, and as if become thin ; whilst the 

 other is white and full of juice. 



The smaller of the two bulbs, the wrinkled one, !s that 

 from which the flower draws its sap and its nourishment; the 

 other will nourish the flower next year. Now, these two 

 bulbs being distant from each other by some lines, when the 

 old one becomes quite dry, and a new bulb has grown by the 

 side of the other, the plant will be displaced by the space 

 which is that year between the two bulbs, that is to say nearly 

 six lines, which shows that it would not require more than 

 twelve thousand years for the orchis to travel a league ! 



